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Manda Bensen, a British author, talks about her latest book, Wastelander.

How did this story come about?  Did a newspaper or TV story trigger the process?

When I was a kid I was remember watching the binmen through the window. They came every week and emptied all the mess I’d made out of my parents’ dustbin, squished it flat in a machine, and took it away in a process that to me seemed almost magical. The bin lorry (I think it’s called a garbage truck or something else in America) always had ‘Dennis’ written on its front grille. I didn’t understand at the time that Dennis was the name of the company that manufactured them — I thought it was the name the binmen had given their lorry. The place the bin lorry went was the Rubbish Tip, or so my parents told me.

So, as an adult I wondered if writing a story about where our rubbish goes would interest children. I had the idea of a clan of Viking warriors living in the rubbish tip amongst all the mucky things we discarded, and it occurred to me that these people would probably find what we would call worthless and disgusting valuable and delicious.

Who did the drawings?

I did. Those familiar with my other work may see a resemblance between these and my HyperGolf illustrations.

Are there any lessons for children to get from the book?

It’s meant to be just a fun coming-of-age adventure story about a boy who gets lost and has to find his way back to his people through the trials and strangeness of our own world. On its simplest level, I’d just like people to enjoy reading it for its silliness. On the other hand, it would be nice if it could get kids thinking about what happens to our rubbish and to be a bit more careful not to waste stuff. I also hope Lenny’s story of survival and self-reliance encourages children.

Is there a moral to the story?

Lenny succeeds through courage and perseverance plus a little help from friends, but other than that, not really. I think it’s more important to tell a funny story that will entertain children and encourage them to read, rather than bother with stuff like this.

What’s next?

The next story I’ll be publishing through Tangentrine Ltd is also for children and it’s called ‘The Weatherman’s Niece’. It’s a sort of humorous antifairytale about climate change. It’s not out until the 10th of October but you can preorder it from Amazon UK or read more about it at http://tangentrine.com/weathermansniece